[Teaching-Faculty] Today's questions re: the Fall 2021 Start-up

[Office of the Provost/VPAA]

Colleagues,

Responding to some new questions that have been sent by faculty:

1.) What about a guest speaker who is coming to class?  Are they required
to be tested prior to their visit?

No.  Our current policy requires only that they be masked when they are
inside any building/classroom space.

2.) Are we supposed to enforce mask wearing?  What if a student refuses to
mask?

As we start the semester, everyone in the classroom must be masked.  If a
student is refusing to mask, they should be asked to leave the classroom.
As I wrote in an earlier note, if the student is nor responsive to the
request to mask, University Police have been designated for follow-up on
any concerns any of us have about unmasked individuals inside buildings
(Ext. 5555).

A number of you have commented about this being an honor system without any
ability to *enforce* the responsibility of unvaccinated individuals needing
to socially distance as well as mask.  Yes--this is correct.  Privacy
regulations run straight up against the desire to "enforce."  Remember,
that you may have students in the classroom who have religious or medical
reasons that exempt them from vaccination.   The good news for all of us is
that the FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine just today for "individuals
sixteen years of age and older"!
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-covid-19-vaccine

Our COVID policy group  meets early tomorrow morning.  I can assure you
that this approval will be at the top of our list for how to respond, now
that the college can mandate vaccinations in line with this approval.

3.) Can individuals who have direct student contact choose to be
periodically tested on-campus?

I have put this on the topic list for the President's Cabinet meeting
tomorrow.  I expect to have an answer soon and will update you all.



ANNE HERZOG,
PhD
(She, Her, Hers)
Provost
Vice President for Academic Affairs
802 Kehoe
101 Broad Street
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(o) 518-564-5402
plattsburgh.edu <https://www.plattsburgh.edu/>
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